1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stapler processing apparatus which is suitable for a paper collating machine that staples a plurality of papers loaded into the machine and subsequently discharges the stapled papers.
2. Description of the Related Art
The present applicant of the invention has proposed a stapler processing apparatus loaded on a paper collating machine before (Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-38756). As shown in FIG. 1, this stapler processing apparatus 100 includes a paper jogging tray 102 into which a collated sheet (consisting of plural papers stacked up) 101 is loaded from the transfer-downstream side of a collating body and which is inclined so as to lower its transfer-downstream side to the transfer-upstream side, a paper jogging unit 107 that allows a presser jogging member 106 to urge the collated sheet 101 to a paper-tip reference wall 104 at the lowermost position of the paper jogging tray 102 and a paper-side reference wall 105 on the lateral side of the tray 102, a stapler 108 for stapling the collated sheet 101 jogged by the paper jogging unit 107 and a paper discharging unit 111 that nips the collated sheet 101 stapled by the stapler 108 between an upper roller 109 and a lower roller 110 thereby to discharge the collated sheet 101 from the top of the paper jogging tray 102 due to the action of a transporting force by the rotations of the upper and lower rollers 109, 110 on the collated sheet 101.
The operation of the above stapler processing apparatus 100 will be described with reference to an operational flow chart of FIG. 2. First, the collated sheet 101 collated by the collating body is loaded to the paper jogging tray 102 in a loading direction IN (step S100). Then, the presser jogging member 106 moves from its stand-by position (a solid line of FIG. 1) to the jogging position (an imaginary line of FIG. 1) to urge the end face of the collated sheet 101 against the paper-side reference wall 105, thereby jogging the papers (step S101). This so-jogged collated sheet 101 is stapled by the stapler 108 (step S102). After stapling, the presser jogging member 106 returns the stand-by position and the upper roller 109 moves to the contact position to nip the collated sheet 101 between the upper roller 109 and the lower roller 110. Then, the upper roller 109 and the lower roller 110 are rotated. The rotations of the rollers 109, 110 allow a feeding force to act on the collated sheet 101, so that it is discharged in an unloading direction OUT (step S103).
Meanwhile, the paper jogging unit 107 can jog the papers by displacing the presser jogging member 106 from the stand-by position to the jogging position, the jogging position is established in accordance with a specific standard size for the papers forming the collated sheet 101. Thus, at the jogging position, an appropriate jogging is carried out by pinching the lateral end faces on both sides of the collated sheet 101 between the paper-side reference wall 105 and the presser jogging member 106.
However, it is noted that there may exist a collated sheet 101 of which size is somewhat larger than the standard size established for the collated sheet 101. If papers exceeding the standard size are jogged by the presser jogging member 106, the paper jogging unit 107 will jog the collated sheet 101 while its intermediate portion is being bent upward, as shown in FIG. 3. When the so-bent collated sheet 101 is stapled by the stapler 108, the resultant staple position of the sheet 101 may be deviated from the formal staple position of the collated sheet 101 having no bending.
In order to suppress the above bending of the collated sheet 101, as shown in FIG. 4, it may be expected to make the upper roller 109 press down the so-bent collated sheet 101 and thereupon, the stapler 108 staples the collated sheet 101 whose bending has been eliminated. However, at a point of time of discharging the collated sheet 101 by the upper roller 109 and the lower roller 110, the feeding operation of the collated sheet 101 becomes unstable since it is easy to be fed obliquely, thereby being at the root of paper jam.
Under such a circumstance, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a stapler processing apparatus that can stabilize both of the stapling position of papers to be collated and the feeding operation in discharging the papers even if the size of the papers is somewhat larger than the standard size.
In the first aspect of the present invention, a stapler processing apparatus comprises: a paper jogging tray into which a plurality of papers are to be loaded; paper jogging means for jogging the papers by forcing respective end faces of the papers to a reference wall of the paper jogging tray; a stapler for stapling the papers jogged by the paper jogging means; paper pressing means for nipping the papers stapled by the stapler; paper discharging means for discharging the papers from the paper jogging tray by acting a transfer force due to the rotations of an upper and lower rollers on the papers; and control means for controlling the operations of the paper jogging means, the stapler, the paper pressing means and the paper discharging means in such a manner that at stapling the papers by the stapler, the control means makes the paper pressing means in close contact with the paper jogging tray thereby pressing the stapled papers to the paper jogging tray, after completing the stapling operation of the stapler, the control means makes the paper jogging means to stop a paper jogging operation thereof and the paper pressing means to separate from the paper jogging tray thereby once releasing the papers from the paper pressing means and subsequently, the control means makes the paper pressing means in close contact with the paper jogging tray and also makes the paper discharging means start discharging the stapled papers.
In the stapler processing apparatus constructed above, if the size of the papers is somewhat larger than the standard size, the paper jogging means will jog the papers in the deflected condition where the intermediate portion of the papers is raised. However, the deflection of the papers is suppressed by the paper pressing means pressing them down. Then, the stapler staples the papers while the deflection is being suppressed. After the stapling operation of the stapler, the paper jogging means is released from pressing the papers and further, the paper pressing means is also released from pressing the papers to the paper jogging tray. As a result, the deflection of the papers is canceled and the discharging operation of the papers is carried out while any deflection is being removed therefrom.
In the second aspect of the present invention, another stapler processing apparatus comprises: a paper jogging tray into which a plurality of papers are to be loaded; paper jogging means for jogging the papers by forcing respective end faces of the papers to a reference wall of the paper jogging tray; a stapler for stapling the papers jogged by the paper jogging means; a pair of upper and lower rollers for nipping the papers stapled by the stapler therebetween; paper discharging means for discharging the stapled papers from the paper jogging tray by acting a transfer force due to the rotations of the upper and lower rollers on the papers; and control means for controlling the operations of the paper jogging means, the stapler, the upper and lower rollers and the paper discharging means in such a manner that at stapling the papers by the stapler, the control means makes the upper roller in close contact with the lower roller thereby pressing the stapled papers to the paper jogging tray; after completing the stapling operation of the stapler, the control means makes the paper jogging means to stop a paper jogging operation thereof and the upper roller to separate from the lower roller thereby once releasing the papers from the upper and lower rollers; and subsequently, the control means makes the upper roller in close contact with the lower roller and also makes the paper discharging means start discharging the stapled papers.
In the above stapler processing apparatus, if the size of papers is somewhat larger than the standard size, the paper jogging means will jog the papers in the deflected condition where the intermediate portion of the papers is raised. However, the deflection of the papers is suppressed by the upper roller pressing them down. Then, the stapler staples the papers while the deflection is being suppressed. After the stapling operation of the stapler, the paper jogging means is released from pressing the papers and further, the upper roller is also released from pressing the papers to the paper jogging tray. As a result, the deflection of the papers is canceled and the discharging operation of the papers is carried out while any deflection is being removed therefrom.
In common with the above-mentioned stapler processing apparatuses, after the stapling operation of the stapler, a period of releasing the papers from being nipped may be adjustable.
It is noted that a time required to cancel the deflection of papers depends on the character of the papers. Therefore, if the period of releasing is changeable corresponding to the character of the papers, then it becomes possible to transfer the papers as fast as possible while maintaining the stability in transferring the papers.
These and other sheets and features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompany drawings.